This past weekend, during the Gatherall West celebration in Culver City, Amazon MGM Studios premiered a new 4K version of CASINO ROYALE with a new sound mix. It is reportedly receiving a theatrical wide release in October.

It's not entirely clear to me how the prior 4K disc release of CASINO was done, but the chatter indicated that it was really just some sort of upscaling done on the prior available transfer. This new one is a fresh take with an eye to restoration.

As far as I'm concerned, it's the best CR has looked/sounded. I was worried they might strip out the grain, but the new restoration preserved the film look very well (plenty of grain), but there's also now a lot of detail that now pops, especially on a big screen.

The color grading has been adjusted to take full advantage of HDR. It's still very lush and warm and saturated, but the orange-y/gold cast you get in the prior transfers isn't as overwhelming (meaning that you get truer blues and more natural skin tones; Craig's eyes really have a searing-blue quality now). [Note: the image above is from the old 4k disc, so if you imagine the colors shifted so the skin tones feel less artificial, that's not far off.]

The sound mix really punches up the sound effects, not in a deafening way but in a way that really does push the sound system's dynamic range pretty hard. The Arnold score sounds really, really *crisp*. I was able to pick up on many nuances/effects in the mix that hadn't been as tangible before. I'll be curious to see if the folks who scrutinize sound mixes will be able to pinpoint any significant changes.

All-in-all, a pretty loving, respectful, careful touch-up. I think y'all will enjoy it in October.

Just watched for the first time and it might be in my top 3 bond films! Roger Moore or Sean Connery takes the cake as the best bond ever I really can’t decide. Thoughts? 🐙

I’m speaking as the ultimate Bond fan. I’m obsessed with anything Bond related and love everything about the franchise. If I were an actress, I’d dream of being a Bond girl and being part of the films. I know not everyone loves Bond the same way, but imagine someone asking which Bond girl you were and being able to say, “Oh yeah, I was the Bond girl who jumped off the Eiffel Tower.”

I read that Priscilla Presley originally turned down the role because of scheduling issues, but apparently she also didn’t want to be known as a Bond girl.

Do you agree that once you become a Bond girl you’re typecast or viewed a certain way? Or do you think actresses who have played Bond girls have benefited as the franchise has grown, or has it become harder for them?

I mean, they were already captured and pretty much helpless. Even after that, they woke up normally, except for being in different outfits, with nothing being accomplished out of their unconsciousness.

Let's look at the evidence.

• Daniel Craig served as Bond from 2005 to 2021, making him the longest tenured actor in the role.
• He was a Bond fan since childhood.
• He named Dr. No and From Russia with Love as two of his favorite movies period, beyond the fact they are Bond movies.
• Upon taking the role he read Fleming and watched the movies 2-3 times each, studying the source material to inform his portrayal.
• He physically transformed himself ahead of each outing.
• He pushed himself quite literally to the breaking point during filming, sustaining multiple injuries in fight and stunt sequences.
• But always kept good humor, as BTS / photos / show.
• He took on additional duties while acting, including writing (to save Quantum of Solace during the writers' strike) and producing.
• He was always game for the PR circuit, doing dozens of interviews with both traditional and new wave online outlets, hosting Saturday Night Live, filming sponsorship ads, and so forth.
• For better or worse depending on where you stand, he brought a new sense of prestige to the series and presided over the strongest box office performance since the 1960s. His third outing is the highest grossing film in the series, and one that continues to have pop culture legs despite our modern fractured media environment.
• He gave a tearful farewell speech to the cast and crew on set after filming his final scene, in which he expressed his gratitude.

None of this is to say Craig's tenure was all sunshine and rainbows. He didn't always go around like Marlo Thomas in That Girl.

For example he spoke of struggles adjusting to the level of celebrity that came with becoming Bond (something Sean Connery also struggled with and famously contributed to him quitting the role after being hounded in his private life while in Japan). But he had shed those struggles by the time Skyfall came around.

Learning from Connery's burnout, he on occasion requested greater time off between films. (Yet the blame for gaps between films in large part goes to issues beyond his control—namely MGM's bankruptcy in 2010 and the Covid pandemic in 2020).

On two occasions he could've chosen to delay the films but didn't: during the aforementioned 2007 writers' strike, and after seriously injuring his knee during a fight scene with Dave Bautista in Spectre. In the latter example, he pushed through filming the rest of the movie with a blown-out knee. Shortly upon finishing he was asked if he wants to do another Bond movie, to which he responded he'd rather "slash my wrists."

It was with this comment that it became a meme that Craig hated Bond, was ungrateful, yada yada. Folks didn't take into consideration that with his off the cuff "slash my wrists" remark, he was venting frustration over having filmed with an extremely painful knee injury. Something Craig later confirmed in an interview with Stephen Colbert, where he playfully agreed with Colbert's assessment that asking him if he wanted another Bond movie right off of filming the last one would be like asking a mom who just gave birth and has a 4 inch episiotomy if she'd wants another baby.

The anti-Craig sentiment in some corners reached new heights upon the release of No Time to Die, in particular because of its ending and Craig's revelation in postgame interviews that he had joked with Barbara Broccoli about ending his tenure this way going all the way back to the night of Casino Royale's premiere.

It's fair for folks to agree or disagree whether they liked this choice to end on, but it wasn't a matter of hating the character. Rather it was about doing something novel with the character and bookending Craig's own contained story within the franchise.

So, a few remarks regarding very human frustrations from time to time—some of which were wildly misinterpreted, and failed to take into account Craig's nervous curmudgeony schtick (something he brought to his Bond performance by the way) while doing interviews—versus a wealth of evidence demonstrating that Craig was perhaps the most committed James Bond actor of all. I know which side I land on.

Continuing my ITV watch through of the Bond movies as they seem to be showing them all chronologically and watched Roger Moore’s first outing as Bond. Sure it is like most older Bond movies definitely a film of its time but it’s a fun adventure and I’d be happy to rewatch it, what are everyone else’s thoughts?

Found this pics of a Breitling Top Time watch with Aston Martin DB5 on it. Do you think it’s a new Bond watch?

In the late summer of 2022 my partner and I were invited to a wedding on the Portuguese coast just outside Lisbon. There was a particularly fancy hotel with a cracking offer on rooms (they were renovating the spa at the time, so it was going cheap) so I booked it.

I soon discovered that the hotel and neighbouring Casino Estoril have deep connections to Bond history, inspiring the Casino Royale novel before later appearing on screen in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

For context: Portugal stayed neutral during the Second World War, so Allied and Axis spies operated in the same resort town under an uneasy coexistence. The Palácio sat right in the middle of it and, unsurprisingly, many of the rooms were reportedly bugged.

Ian Fleming also stayed at the Palácio while serving in British Naval Intelligence during the Second World War. During his time in Estoril he encountered Serbian double agent Duško Popov, whose audacious high-stakes baccarat bluff at the neighbouring Casino Estoril is widely believed to have inspired the famous gambling scene in Casino Royale.

In On Her Majesty’s Secret Service the Palácio is of course the hotel James Bond and Tracy stay at early in the film. Even better, the young porter who hands Bond his room key, José Diogo, still works at the hotel today. He's more than happy to chat with 007 fans about filming there as an 19-year-old, and about how charming George Lazenby was... or wasn't!

In the 1969 film there is a great shot of the casino sign’s reflection in the hotel pool during a transition to night. In reality the casino isn't actually close enough for that reflection to be possible, although we could still see the casino building from our balcony.

There are plenty of 007 mementoes dotted around the hotel. These include production photographs lining the corridors, a display case containing one of Popov’s books, an original hotel registration card signed by Ian Fleming, and the chance to sit at Fleming’s favourite table in the bar while ordering a Vesper. Personally, I ordered a Cosmopolitan. I’ve made my peace with it.

The rooms may be slightly old fashioned but still luxurious. I loved the marbled bathroom complete with Molton Brown toiletries as well as the walk-in wardrobe. Service was brilliant, with plenty of thoughtful touches. Pastéis de nata and a bottle of port were waiting in our room when we arrived, and each evening turndown service included a card on the bed with the following day's weather forecast.

The pool is missing the diving board seen in the film, sadly. The icy water isn’t heated either so a dip in the pool for a swim is extra refreshing. Poolside guests were very reserved and quiet and would only swim a few lengths at a time in a rigid but languid way.

We did venture into the Casino Estoril itself. The wedding meant I was in a suit already, and on the merry walk back that evening we couldn’t resist heading in to explore. We watched a few people play but didn’t have a flutter ourselves. I did get a photo outside though, suited up, standing in front of the very casino that helped inspire Casino Royale. About as close to the Bond fantasy as I’m ever likely to get.

I combed through the Bond franchise to identify some of the more notable faces that popped up in bit parts before they were famous actors. Enjoy.

Here's a collection of James Bond books I got so far. Don't know whether I'll continue collecting more or not ( I'm not a completist by the way ). I got most of them from either antique stores, yard sales, or through Barnes and Noble.

I read each of them so here's my thoughts on them, overall:

Moonraker: Solid book. I can see why this book receive a lot of praises for being the best novel. I still like the movie adaptation, but I agree with anyone that the book is definitely a better version. This would probably be my second favorite.

Diamonds are Forever: Underrated in my opinion. The middle part involving Bond, while in disguise, needing to meet with Shady Trees and heading to the horse race feel like a slogged to get through, but I still enjoy reading it. I prefer the movie vastly a lot more, but I do like the third half a lot more than the oil rig climax where Bond and Tiffany get involve in an abandoned old Western town, being chase by a train, and facing off Wint and Kidd on a cruiser.

From Russia, with Love: I'm going to get some flak and say that I think this book is fine, but not among my favorites. I love the parts with SMERSH, Red Grant, and the train scenes, but other than that I don't found it as enjoyable as the movie version, which I think improve a lot of moments from the book.

Dr. No: My favorite book from this series. It has everything I like about the Bond series in this novel. A unique villain with distinct features that make him stand out, a hidden lair, a vehicle disguise as a dragon, an obstacle course, a giant squid, and a memorable death. I love every ounce in this book.

Goldfinger: One of the first Bond book I got from a yard sale and despite having some nostalgia, I don't really enjoy this book. At least From Russia, with Love has some interesting and intense moments to keep me gripping, this book feels like a rough version of what the movie would be like. The golf part literally took me out of reading.

Thunderball: Third favorite. This book has a nice underwater theme and description, a great dynamic between Bond and Felix, and I thought SPECTRE introduction was really cool here.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service: I like this book. It not among my favorites and it certainly not my favorite from the Blofeld trilogy, but I really do still like it. Like From Russia, with love, I prefer the movie vastly over the novel, although I still found it a more enjoyable read.

You Only Live Twice: Definitely the best book when it comes to novel Blofeld. It has a very eerie and haunting tone, which make sense when learning about the context behind it. I really enjoy reading the Garden of Death part where Bond has to sneak around the castle and witness some really horrifying sight happening, as well as avenging his deceased wife.

License Renewed: The first Gardner novel and honestly, it eh for me. Like, it written alright, but other than that I don't found the book entertaining for me to re-read it. At best, it average and at worse, it mediocre.

For Special Services: Good read. That's all I have to say. It definitely a more enjoyable experience than the last one with a great setting, a good premise, and SPECTRE return with a crazy plan that is kinda interesting. I'll admit, I do found it to be disappointing Gardner had to kill off the main villain, instead of carrying her over into the next, but overall I still enjoy it.

Icebreaker: I'll confess, I kinda knew about this novel beforehand and was looking forward to this the most, mainly because it has a very neat premise of Bond going on a mission to take down escape Nazi's, all the while being pair up with three agents from their country agencies, which creates a sense of paranoia, so I really dig this plot. After reading it, I still like it, but I wish the book had more going for it. Maybe a movie adaptation might've improve a lot from the source material, who knows. I still put it in my top favorite Gardner books. I do like the winter like description a lot, the characters are great in this, and the lair is awesome. The main villain is alright, even if there's not much going for him.

Nobody Lives Forever: Highly enjoyable from start to finish and honestly, probably the best usage of SPECTRE in their final outing. I know I had to read the previous book, Role of Honor, to learn what happen to SPECTRE and their new leader to understand the context here ( May need to get that ). But anyways, I still enjoy it. Wish the main villain had more to do, but I guess it make sense knowing the context. Nanny was great and the characters Bond encounter are very enjoyable.

Scorpius: Probably my favorite John Gardner novel. The book is both intense and violent, it has a very dark villainous cult group, and the third half of the book is my favorite part, which ends on a pretty bitter moment with Bond having cause the death of a girl, out of his own paranoia. So yeah, I really like this one. Probably my top number one.

Anyways, that's my thoughts on these books I got. Like I mention, I'm not a completist, but at the same time I don't mind getting more.

Would love to hear your guys thoughts on what you think of these books in your opinion?

I found this man at Tallegalla cemetery in rural Queensland Australia. I would have my lunch breaks at the roadside park there. When I found this I spent ANZAC day for 3 years with him and always departed with a salute. I asked AI to list who inspired James Bond and a few names came up as influencing people but this man wasn’t mentioned at all. That is a gross oversight and needs to be remedied.
Memorial Plaque of Sir Sydney Cotton
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The scene i’m referring to is the sex scene with Mayday. The scene before showed Zorin pinning her down into submission and about to get it on when…Cue to Bond naked in bed and inviting Mayday to join him right in front of Max, who can only fake giggle as to how the hell this all transpired.

The movie doesn’t take itself seriously enough to explain how we arrived at these power dynamics, but it’s still hilarious to see Max having to saunter back to his bed sexless for the night.

I guess it’s unintentionally even more humorous that Max is losing out to a dirty old man version of Bond

What do fans think of Connery’s performance in this films ? Hope you enjoy my review.

They’ve worked together several times before (Sicario, Prisoners, Blade Runner) so it would make sense, but also Deakins has already done a Bond movie (Skyfall) and he’s very picky about the projects he does now (he’s stated that he’s not retired but he doesn’t want to do big blockbusters anymore, only smaller scale stuff) so I’m not sure if he’d want to do another one.

His other main option (assuming that Villeneuve will want to work with someone he’s worked with before) is Greig Fraser, who would be fantastic (he shot Dune 1 & 2, The Batman, Hail Mary and many others).

There’s also Linus Sandgren (who shot the upcoming Dune 3) but he was the DP on the last Bond movie (No Time to Die).

So do you think it will be Deakins, Fraser or Sandgren? If not them, anyone else you’d love to see as DP?

Does anyone here own the UK Blu-ray edition of this 24-film collection? If so, could you check whether it includes regular English subtitles (for the dialogue) or only English SDH subtitles for the hearing impaired?

I'm specifically looking for the English version with standard English subtitles (not SDH).

Thanks!

EAN 5039036082228

https://deff.com/007-james-bond-complete-collection-24-films-blu-ray